TEACHER’S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Comparative and Superlative Practice

Activity Type Overview

Lesson, reading, writing, This entertaining five-page lesson is ideal for teaching or reviewing
speaking activity, comparative and superlative adjective forms and structures.
pairwork The lesson contains a grammar review and exercise based on
comparative and superlative adjective forms as well as an
exercise about using comparatives and superlatives in questions.
Language Focus The students then go on to do a comparison activity. Afterwards,
Comparatives and students create a dialogue using the language from the lesson,
superlatives which they then present to the class.

Answer key
Aim
Exercise A and B
To practice comparative Adjective Comparative Superlative
and superlative adjective good better best
forms and structures. bad worse worst
fun more fun most fun
pretty prettier prettiest
Preparation easy easier easiest
Make one copy of the big bigger biggest
lesson for each student. light lighter lightest
heavy heavier heaviest
fast faster fastest
Level reliable more reliable most reliable
slow slower slowest
Elementary
new newer newest
dry drier driest
happy happier happiest
Time
old older oldest
60 minutes nice nicer nicest
compact more compact most compact
tasty tastier tastiest
bitter more bitter most bitter
advanced more advanced most advanced
suitable more suitable most suitable
warm warmer warmest
Exercise C
1. A: What is the most interesting place you've ever been to?
2. A: What is the tallest building you've ever been in?
3. A: Which is larger, the Sahara desert or the Gobi desert?
B: The Sahara desert is larger.
4. A: Who is more famous, Lady Gaga or Madonna?
5. A: Which country has a larger population, China or India?
B: China has a larger population.
6. A: Which fruit has a stronger smell, bananas or durians?
B: Durians have a stronger smell.
7. A: What is the biggest problem in the world today?
8. A: Which is higher, Mount Everest or K2?
B: Mount Everest is higher.

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 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Comparative and Superlative Practice

Comparatives and Superlatives

Adjectives are used to describe nouns. If two nouns are being compared to one another, we use
comparative adjectives. When comparing three or more nouns, we use superlative adjectives.

Adjective form Comparative form Superlative form

Only one syllable, ending

in E. Add -st: widest, finest, cut-
Add -r: wider, finer, cuter
est
Examples: wide, fine, cute

Only one syllable, with one

vowel and one consonant at Double the consonant, and Double the consonant, and
the end. add -er: hotter, bigger, fat- add -est: hottest, biggest,
ter fattest
Examples: hot, big, fat

Only one syllable, with more

than one vowel
or more than one consonant Add -er: lighter, neater, Add -est: lightest, neatest,
at the end. faster fastest

Examples: light, neat, fast

Two syllables, ending in Y.

Change y to i, then add
Change y to i, then add -er:
-est: happiest, silliest, lone-
Examples: happy, silly, happier, sillier, lonelier
liest
lonely

Two syllables or more, not

Use more before the Use most before the
ending in Y.
adjective: more modern, adjective: most modern,
more interesting, more most interesting, most
Examples: modern,
beautiful beautiful
interesting, beautiful

A. These adjectives don't follow the rules above. What are their comparative and superlative
forms?

good

bad

fun

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 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Comparative and Superlative Practice

B. Write the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives below.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

cheap cheaper cheapest

beautiful more beautiful most beautiful

pretty

easy

big

light

heavy

fast

reliable

slow

new

dry

happy

old

nice

compact

tasty

bitter

advanced

suitable

warm

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 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Comparative and Superlative Practice

C. Complete the questions and answers with comparatives and superlatives.

1. A: What is the place you've ever been to? (interesting)

B: I've ever been to is .

2. A: What is building you've ever been in? (tall)

B: I've ever been in is .

3. A: Which is , the Sahara desert or the Gobi desert? (large)

B: The is .

4. A: Who is , Lady Gaga or Madonna? (famous)

B: is .

5. A: Which country has a population, China or India? (large)

B: has .

6. A: Which fruit has a smell, bananas or a durians? (strong)

B: have .

7. A: What is problem in the world today? (big)

B: The is .

8. A: Which is , Mount Everest or K2? (high)

B: is .

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 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Comparative and Superlative Practice

D. Which one do you prefer? Explain your answers using comparative sentences.

Which house would you choose and why?

A. B.

$250,000 $25,000

Which car is better and why?

A. B.

$20,000 $15,000

Which watch would you like to have and why?

A.  B. 

$250 $225

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 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Comparative and Superlative Practice

E. In pairs, use the prompts to write a conversation using comparatives and superlatives.

Two friends are at the shopping mall. One friend is looking to buy a new phone.

A: sees two phones and asks for their friend’s opinion on the colour

B: says which colour they prefer and why

A: sees three more phones and asks which one is the best

B: says which one is the best and why

A: prefers another one because it looks good

B: agrees, but says that it is more expensive

A:

B:

A:

B:

A:

B:

F. Now, present your dialogue to the class.

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